Morphological and molecular taxonomy of Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Kermesidae) with notes on its life history in Israel

Abstract

Descriptions and illustrations of the adult female and first-instar nymph of the kermesid Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer, based on the adult female lectotype and paralectotype (here designated), and new material collected from Israel are presented. A key for the identification of first-instar nymphs of Nidularia spp. is offered. Molecular identification of N. balachowskii, using nucleotide sequences from the D2–D3 region of the 28S ribosomal gene, and the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene, is presented. Morphological and molecular analyses confirm that N. balachowskii is closely related to other species within the Kermesidae. In Israel, this species develops only on Quercus ithaburensis and is univoltine. This is the first detailed report of N. balachowskii from Israel.